Magnitude 7.3 earthquake strikes near Tabiauan, Philippines

Updated 12:06 pm, Tuesday, January 10, 2017

The United States Geological Survey reported a preliminary magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck near Tabiauan, Philippines.

The United States Geological Survey reported a preliminary magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck near Tabiauan, Philippines.

Photo: USGS

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The United States Geological Survey reported a preliminary magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck near Tabiauan, Philippines.

The United States Geological Survey reported a preliminary magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck near Tabiauan, Philippines.

Photo: USGS

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Gary S. Chapman / Getty Images

Gary S. Chapman / Getty Images

Photo: Gary S Chapman, Getty Images

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Earthquake magnitudes measure the energy released by a tremor, but are not meant to calculate how intense the shaking is for those near the epicenter. To measure how forceful a quake felt to someone or something near the epicenter, geologists use something called the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale. The following slides explain what it means when you see a roman numeral representing intensity on USGS readings and color-coded intensity maps. Information taken from a USGS magnitude vs. intensity comparison. less

Earthquake magnitudes measure the energy released by a tremor, but are not meant to calculate how intense the shaking is for those near the epicenter. To measure how forceful a quake felt to someone or ... more

Photo: Vincent Maggiora/The Chronicle

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Below a 3.0 magnitude: Earthquakes at this level are generally deemed level I in intensity. These are "Not felt except by a very few under especially favorable conditions," according to the USGS. less

Below a 3.0 magnitude:Earthquakes at this level are generally deemed level I in intensity. These are "Not felt except by a very few under especially favorable conditions," according to the ... more

Photo: USGS

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Magnitude 3.0 to 3.9 - Earthquakes at this level are typically level II, which. according to the USGS are "only felt by a few persons at rest, especially on upper floors of buildings," or level III, which carry"vibrations similar to the passing of a truck."

Magnitude 3.0 to 3.9 - Earthquakes at this level are typically level II, which. according to the USGS are "only felt by a few persons at rest, especially on upper floors of buildings," or level III, which ... more

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Magnitude 4 to 4.9 - quakes at this intensity are often level IV, which are widely felt but rarely cause serious damage or even level V, which are felt by nearly everyone and have the power to wake people up. less

Magnitude 4 to 4.9 - quakes at this intensity are often level IV, which are widely felt but rarely cause serious damage or even level V, which are felt by nearly everyone and have the power to wake people ... more

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Magnitude 5 to 5.9 - The USGS says level VI intensity is where people start getting scared. By level VII we start seeing "considerable damage in poorly built or badly designed structures."

Magnitude 5 to 5.9 - The USGS says level VI intensity is where people start getting scared. By level VII we start seeing "considerable damage in poorly built or badly designed structures."

Quakes above magnitude 7.0 can range from level VIII up. The three highest levels X - where masonry homes are largely destroyed, level XI - where bridges may come down, and level XII where "damage is total" are the most intense. San Francisco's 1906 earthquake (damage pictured above) was considered a level XI quake. less

Quakes above magnitude 7.0 can range from level VIII up. The three highest levels X - where masonry homes are largely destroyed, level XI - where bridges may come down, and level XII where "damage is total" are ... more

Photo: AP

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Magnitude 7.3 earthquake strikes near Tabiauan, Philippines

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The United States Geological Survey reports a magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck near Tabiauan, Philippines on Tuesday.

An earlier report had stated that the preliminary magnitude was a 6.9, but was later updated by the USGS.

The quake hit at 2:13 PM local time at a depth of 622 kilometers.

There was no initial word on damage or injury resulting from the quake. More information on this earthquake is available on the USGS event page.

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